Traveling-grate stoker



' 1,630,220 May 24' 1927' A. E. MSI-AFER ET AL TRAVELING GRATE STCKERFiled Ju1.v 24. 1925 '7 sheets-sheet 2 |NVENTORS ATTORNEY May 24,1927.1,630,220 A. E. M. SHAFER ET AL TRAVELING GRATE STOKER v sheets-sheet 3Filed Jul.v 24 19.25

INVENTGRS W BY m o ATTGRN EY May 24, 1927.

A. E. M. SHAFER ET AL TRAVELING GRATE sToKER Filed July 24 1925 '7Sheets-Sheet /4 INVENTORS ATTORNEY Ma 24 1927, 1'630 220 y l A. E.MSHAFER ET AL TRAVELING GRATE STOKER Filed July 24. 1925 7 sheets-sheet5 INVENTORS May 24, 1927.

1,630,220 A. E. M. sHAFER ET AL TRAVELI NG GRATE STOKER Filed July 241925' v sheets-sheet 6 INVENTJRS ATrcRNEY TRAVLING GRATE STOKER FiledJuly 24. 1925 7 sheets- Sheet '7 raya.

ATTOR N EY yinet-hed .of eedingiuelto the' same, andV wherein lineSizeeof anthracite fuel Ninn-r bers@ and 4f buc'kwheat and smaller canbe' aol into vthe Combustion chambeil from' vario'usf points above andbelow the iiefbed,y Yand an fuel V suspeneion.

ALFRED ngM. SHAFER, on' LEHIGTON, AND" ALBIN' ANORMAN; 0F @A1/AQUA? Thisinvention relates toimprlovementsintraveling gi'atestokere togetherwithY yainevvy more advantageously oonsuinedl than. with the present daydevi'eef for' this pun-pose, and Without recourse to the; method ofprepara-V tion known asl pnlveiiz'ing',`.` The' fuel-"is all mostinstantaneously ignited as it enters the combustion aChamber, andmaintained 1n1 conetant motion, thereby always being in contactwvitlisuilieientloxygen tof aiord" coin-1` plete combustion. K l vf' i" 'v Incarrying out the invention" We also loro#Y vide a novel fuel' conveyingdevice, Which conveye the fuel onto a traveling grate, vthe fuelpaseingthrough acurtain of hot gases,y whereby the finer particles'-burn in s'uspenl sion',y while the heavier particlesv areignited beforeStriking the grate.

AAn important object ofthe' invention-"Tesid'es inlai'ranging thegrate-atan angle of,V

ineli-natiom so that lthe airpassing through theV grate has aftendeneyto throwthe particles of fuel upwardly andA forwardly "with a'V churningeffect,l and'ctmse'qnentlyl burn then-'1 i in suspension; Y Y y YAnother bj'eet of the invention resides '1n the provision of means foradini'ttlng an' arrangement of `valves fo'rcontrolling the admittance'of 'sai'dfairg eo that appropei' amount; of air is providedlfto 'meetfthe! 11e-'V4 quu'einents underv any andjallr 'conditlon'fs- `volatilematterl andI and to: take @are of the Sain fur-thely@103meff theinventan le:

sidee in. a novel grate consti-ustioni, inluding ay plurahty'ofelongated sectlonspivotally il connected togetheiff in 4 end'l'e'ssyfonati'o'n, each section being suppliedVvvith'v ai-rf fienithe bottoni,vand exhausting said aiijfroml the` top into'the'fire bed',-eaehI4Section having' itsoWn individualair Supply', `So thatzteaehi' I vseetion 'reeeivesythe" popei" aniountof ai'` withoutloss oileakageto'anyv other section? Again WeE Conteniplate' Vthe provieion ofspacedser'iee'of independent air lSupply chambers i""oif the .differentv`grate "stee'tionef each of saidf Sectionalhavingftvofair `receivingopenings,one ateaeh end located-:at opfpersite Sides; offithe'longitudinal* xnedgialf i lowing'l detailed desiei'iption iS 'rea theinvention- I'esiding'- yin 'the Construction;

The natuieandadvantages of the" inven'l' tion Lwin be lbettefundesto-odjwhenjtne fel;

neetlonr,vv-1th-v thefaccoinpanying d1 inge;

ming pare of ,this

Similar-"parts in't'h'e *severalv` vie-Wsgffandi.

ViewV through-the combustion enamibir and@ Y Figure 8A im sectional'view' Online elle;

Ofrfniguae 4e einiger@ Gini-@geren 'l Figuren is a' `Se@tionalview; onf

f {Fignref iaiis sectie/nifl 'viewniirough-vthe lThe?ajopatattilesectional View line '7g- 7;

opening lin oneeide@ofl thejapparatue' ngggfl' muehf fas itY .isluSedf-as". an .instrumentality Ineansf4 0i which? the -aelifesQ arefeventually gre-'f facie 'not 'snowna iThiesgffejriemafie, piaf; ifvr fa' of 'elongated Sections of boxloi'inationQln'`r c'ioss seetnmjv andindieate neceiheedjecee sectionitagliati The en- ,g V- l *105i A isupply.'k This air/duct includes an interina.

tire grate V-structure'is adapted to move or travel around a' pa-ir ofspaced drums 15,

Veach of which is provided `With a circumferential series of depressions16, adapted to receive the pivot vrods 14 above referred to. The shaft17o-f one of these drumsis provided With a gear 18 arranged to operatein a suitable cas-ing 19, Which gear meshes With ya Worm 20 carried by ashaft 21 adapt-v ed to be operated by a motoror any'other suitablesource. K A very slow motion 1s 1mparted to this grate,vth`espeedvbemg-reg'u- -lated vorA controlled by anyfsuitable speed reducingdevice, not shown. kAs clearly illustrated'inFigure 4, each gratesect-10u12 y isof Vhollow formation and reenforced by a longitudinallydisposed rib 22.@v Each ofv u these sections is vprovided With an fairreceiv ing'opening 23 at each `end located'fon` opoffthe bottomof thesection, while the top positefsdes vof the longitudinal -medial line sof each section-is formedwith a plurality of -v partedvuto the fuel islargely due to the dis-Y .vs-lots' 24 which may 4extendeither-transversevly or longitudinally of the section, the Wallsv ofeachVslotl being preferably tapered as shown .to vminimize resistance Vtothe flow of air therethrough; ,By virtue lof this construction7 airadmitted into eachl grate section, and subsequently exhausted throughtheslots 211Y beneath the fire bed. The manner. inA Which theV air isconveyed into the,- various-section sfof the grate Will be herein-Vafter described. The turbulent motionV imcharge of air from the inclinedgrate strucl ture. lIt kvvill be noted upon inspection of Figures 3 and9- that the lovverrrun ofthe ygrate moves 'over asuitable guide or trackyindicated at 25. Drums 15 vwhich are sup-k ported rby shafts `17` abovereferredfto'support angle' irons 2vvhichin turn support a drum 27arranged to serve or act. asvv an air y g seal between ,the rear Y ofthe combustion c chamber andthe atmosphere. 'Italso prevents ashes fromdropping j into vthe openaffords ease/in removal or installation.

' Thefair for Vthe grate vsections asfvvellfas. for the'otherloointsofdistribution;aboutthe combustionchamber-is supplied byl a main air duct,Which of., course. is adapted ltofV be Yassociated withV asuitablesource of; air

diatejportion 29 Whiclihextends across the ,Qlfront ofthe apparatus andspaced paralleli 'f Aside lportions 30.5,. These portions-are-vpreflerably-l ofrjthe cross: sectional contour shown inFigure lfand' designedtosupporta vporj'tionV oftheadjacent-@Wallsfoflthe furnace structure 10.A'rrangedfinjuxtapositionl to I leach vside portion30.oftheimainair'duct is i V l 'a series of chambers,orcompartmentsV,31,

having independent `communication With said duct, as there is a valve32vprovided or el These each chamber to control communication tween thelatter and said duct. valveslare clearly shown in Figure, 7', each beingcarried by a threaded stem 33y threaded to VsuitableY bushings 34Vassociated with the main air duct 30, and each controlled by l a handvvheel35,'so thatrany one orcombination of Avalves may be opened .orclosed as desired. As lshoWn'in Figures, the grate sec-tions are adaptedto move over thesepop-v n posed seriesof chambers 31, and as each-of twoopenings 23 located on' opposed side'sofi the longitudinal medial lineVof thefbottom communicate .with the openings oftl'iechambers 31,directly vopposite fone another, airV lfrom'the latter passes into theVvertical grate section. Consequently Ythe-grate sections communicatecontinuousl Vwith'one or both ofthe opposed air cham ers of the respecftive series, thereby insuring th'e Vgrateyor leach section thereof of avcontinued supply f Vof Vair While the grate is in operation. l HOWLever, inasmuch as each grate section is individually supplied. withVairfffrom vthe cham-l bers 31, it is manifest that any number of thesechambers canbe cut offfrom communication with the main air duct, S0 asto utilize a selected numberof grat-e sections,V

while at the'same Vtime the prop'eramount of air can be conducted toleachsection of the `grate Without loss or leakage to any other section.v The upper runofthe gratefmoves over whatwe term a Wear platej36l,there be-lV ingk one of these plates reposing on each series ofchambers31,y eachlplaterhavmg a number of spaced openin'gsj3 equivalentto v the number of chambers :31, kthe openings 37 yregistering With theoutlet'openingsof the ,respective chambers.

ply of air from theLmain duct to the cham-f bers 31 be completelycutoff, but it may also` be regulated by; a properadjustment of the y, u

lio

VV'heating of the* grate sections can beprevent-VV I valves 3` 32.During banking .periods overed by allowing the air to blow` through'themto the atmosphere." In addition Vto-Ysupplyl:V

ing the gratesectionswith 'airL injtheman1` Y '1157s ner described, thecombustionchamber may` also be'supplied Withair from the main ductl at apoint immediately above, the Y lire"l bed,

for'ivhich purpose-the' adjacent vvallslOof ,Y l.

the -combustion chamberk are` provided with air inlet'pipes3,8,jclea'rly shovvn in Figure 4, which pipes' ofcourse communicatefwiththe adjacent l sides offthe main Y air ductf` i.

Forthei purpose of controlling'this connection We provide aivalvel39,these'valves-BQlbeing arranged to operate Withinthe1nain`ai-rduct', and supp'ortedibyvthreaded'fstemslof l manipulatedin anysuitable, manner, thatV is te say'. ,eater by `hand"Wheei om. einmal L Itrained yover a suitable pulley '42,? V-llgain,'

adjustingjelements l 40; `vvhich ymay Jbe .readily n air from the-mainduct can be introduced into the .combustion chamber throughtheinstrumentalit-y` of branchV pipes 143 `and 44 re-v `Aspectively, thepipe ,-43 ,communicating with a. horizontally ,disposed port 45 providedY with a vertically Vdisposed port 4.6, this pipe .directing :the airtoward the traveling grate.

Each 4of these branch pipesphas associated l', which hoppersinclude-horizontally dis` posed portions which open into the lire box van appreciable distance aboveV the travelingr therewith a sliding valve47, which controls communication therebetween and the main 'air ducteach valve being connected withan operating lever 48,Y through theinstrumentality of which the port valve can bepropr erly adjusted. n 4 iThe fine' fuel is ldelivered ,into aplurality of hoppers 49, as clearlyVshown' in Figure grate. The fuel of course gravitates toward vthe lowerend of each hopper, andis forced.' therefrom into the fire box by meansof slidhowever, is preferably provided with a gear 56 which meshesv witha worm gear 57 carriedby a shaft 58A adapted to be operated by a motoror any other suitable means. It is of course to be understood'that thespeed of this shaft 58 canl be regulated, so that the sliding plungers5l are operated to force into the fire box the proper amountof fuelVconsistent with the amount of airadmitted therein to promote completecombustion. It

might here be stated that the Vspeed with' which the grate is operatedhas no bearing whatever upon-the rate of combustion, the

Orate being utilized to 'remove Vthe ashes from the fire box; Asthe fuelis forcedv into the fire box in the manner/above described it fallsthrough a curtain of hot gases rising fronithe fire'box,'thereby burningthe tine particles in suspensiom'ivliilethe larger particles of fuel areignited before striking the grate. The grate sections lare thus suppliedwith ignited fuel at all times, and complete'combustion takes vplacewithinvthe` fuel bed Zone.y Theadmittance of air'into the lire box fromthe various points above enumerated can beregulated or' controlled bythe various valves, the air imparting a turbulent motion to the fuel. jCertain of the -air* inlet openings are fso placed with relation to theburning fuel that the proper amount ofair is admittedto take care of thevolatile matter, and fuel in suspension` Y lcan be admitted and combinedso that once the proper temperature isreached, the maxi-..

mum rate of combustion willV not be de-V pendent upon the.: 4device:itself, b'utfrather upon the liability kofthe associated parts towithstand ai@ additional .s1-,rains vt@ 'which they lare subj ected.l Y

y Vliile it isjfbelieved .that the advantages,- `ofthe invention will bereadilyl apparent Vfrom the `foregoing descriptionfwe desire to havev ityL inderstood that .wexdo notlimit ourselves to what ishereiny shoavnand .de-

scribed,andV ,that such changes-maybe reif, Y

sorted( tov when desired AJas within the -scope of what isclaimed. f

Vliat we clainiis; i Y,

l. In lcombination, :anfendless grate inj- [cluding ,a` plurality ,ofpivotally connected 'hollow grate sections, each having` an air f inletopening` adjacenteach end, c-with said openings arranged onvoppositesides ofthe longitudinal medial line vof the bottom :of i

said'seotiom and aplurality of air exhaust openings in the top thereof,means .-forop- @rating said grate, andV means for alternately.`

supplying sai'dair inlet V openings `with air Y when each gratesectionreaches predetermined positions in the course of its travel, V2.In combination, an endless grate including a pluralityof pivotallyconnected hollow grate sect-ions, means for operating y i said grate,each section having air inlet openings adjacent the ends thereof andarranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal medial e line ofthebottom thereof, and `,air exhaust openings in the top, spaced series ofsep'` Varate air chambers above which the upper run ofthe grate Visarranged' to travel, valve controlled means for supplying said cham-licoY bers with air,` the chambers of each series being provided'withaligned outletopenings,

one inlet opening of each grate section come `municating successivelywith the Ioutlet.

openings of one-series, andl thejother inlet opening Y communicatingsuccessively with the outlet openings of the other series as the grateis operated, the inlet openings of each section `communicatingalternately openings.A n i y 3. In combination, an endless grateincluding aplurality of pivotally connected *hollow grate sections,means forjoperating said grate, `ea`ch section having air inletr i withrespectto each other, withsaid outlet. v

openings and air exhaust openings intheA top,said inlet openings beingarrangedadjai "1 i cent the endsandon opposite sides of ttheVlongitudinal i medial line Aofi-fthe bottom,

spaced seiiesj'ofair ohambersfa'bovelwhich the `Lipper run 'of the grateis arranged tori" travel, valve controlledineans for supplyA Ving saidchambers withair,` the 'chambers ofV Y each series being provided withaligned outletvopenings, one inlet opening of v.each grate sectioncommunicating, successively l with the outlet openings of `one series,andthe other inl'etfopening communicating succes. 13a

sively withthe outlet openings of., theo'ther outlet openings.

4. In combination7 an endless grate in- 'cluding a Aplurality- .ofpivotally Vconnected hollow grate sections, each sectionf'having airinlet openings located adjacent the ends thereof and at opposite sidesof the longitudinal medial. line ot' the bottom, and a plu- V ralitylofexhaust openings in the top,V spaced series of separate air chambersabove Whlch f the upper run of the grate is arranged to travel, Vvalvecontrolled means supplying said Chambers with airynieans for operatingsaid grate,V the chambers of each series being provided vWith alignedoutlet openings-one inlet opening of each grate section communicatingAsuccessively with the outlet open-f ings of one series,rand the otherinletl opening communicating successively With Vthe` outlet openings ofthe other series Yas'` the grate is operated','the inlet openings ,ofeach section coinn'iun'icating lalternately with respect to each'v ings.

tures.

other, with said outlet `open- .In testin'iony whereof we affix our'signafk i ALBiNVA. NoRRMAsN--H Y;

